Laphroaig 18 Year Old Impressions

What is it? 

Distillery: Laphroaig, Islay, Scotland

Name: 18 Year Old

Make: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Extra Info: The Laphroaig 18 Year Old single malt is no longer in production and has been replace by the new NAS (No Age Statement) Laphroaig Lore. I have tried the Laphroaig Lore, but not enough to write my own impressions just yet. Any bottles of the Laphroaig 18 Year Old that you see for sale are likely to be the last stock you are ever going to see. That makes this whisky a good choice for any whisky collectors or investors.

Why did I buy it?

The Laphroaig 10 Year Old was the whisky that got me into whisky, so trying the 18 Year Old was always on the cards. I figured I should probably buy some now, before it was too hard to find...Or too expensive to buy.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: Classic Scotch whisky bottle shape in the iconic Laphroaig dark green coloured glass. This expression has a two part label with the familiar black writing on white design on top and a dark green label with gold lettering below to match the neck covering. The symmetry and colouring of the bottle is quite appealing. Laphroaig, always classy. Bottled at 48% ABV.

Appearance: Just like the 10 and 18 Year Old Talisker single malts, side by side, the 10 Year Old and 18 Year Old Laphroaig are near indistinguishable by colour. Once again, this would be very unlikely without the use of e150 caramel colouring. 

Aroma: Softer smoke than the 10 Year Old, drift wood, spicy notes and some caramel.

Flavour: Smooth but powerful flavours. Spicy, familiar peat smoke, quite sweet, licorice all-sorts.

Finish: Very long, lingering spice, aniseed trailing off and warming in the throat.

Would I buy it again?

I bought two. I think it is unlikely I will buy another but more so because it is no longer available, not because I didn't like it. It is a decent single malt but just like the Talisker 18 Year Old, I prefer the Laphroaig 10 Year Old from a flavour-to-value standpoint.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have the nose and palate of a Master Sommelier, however, I am working to train my senses to better identify whisky aromas and flavours. Consider all my whisky 'Impressions' to be a work in progress and I hope to come back to each of them in the future to see if I notice anything different. Most importantly, I'm not just throwing around random aromas, flavours and adjectives for the hell of it; I am trying really hard to critically describe each whisky I taste - WhiskyDad.